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September 26, Women's Elite Road Race: Mendrisio 124.2km

Guderzo wins Worlds with solo attack

By:

Gregor Brown

Published:

September 26, 2009, 12:31,

Updated:

September 26, 2009, 18:25

Italy's Guderzo attacks solo in final lap to win Worlds in Mendrisio, Armstrong fourth

Photos

Italy's Tatiana Guderzo claimed an emphatic victory in the woman's World Championship road race on Saturday in Mendrisio, Switzerland. She attacked solo from a fourwoman group that also included Marianne Vos (Netherlands), Noemi Cantele (Italy) and Kristin Armstrong (USA) on the final lap to win by 19 seconds.

Vos won the sprint for second ahead of Guderzo's Italian teammate, Noemi Cantele.

"Thanks to the team, they helped me up until the end," said Guderzo. "Noemi and I realised a dream."

Armstrong, winner of Thursday's time trial, finished fourth in her last race as a professional cyclist.

"I always want to medal, but it's the best result the Americans have had for many years," said Armstrong. "I hope this gives [other American riders] motivation for many years to come."

Guderzo helped form the winning group of four riders from a larger group of 19 on the final ascent of the Acqua Fresca. Italy had the majority and Guderzo made her race-winning move with a solo attack at the top of the climb.

"We controlled the race and showed that we were the strongest," continued Guderzo. "Now I am able to take home this beautiful jersey, which should be shared between the six of us."

Cantele was able to mark Vos and Armstrong over the following 10 kilometres, including the Novazzano climb.

"Italy was very strong," said Vos. "When there were four of us in the last lap, with two Italians, I knew it would be hard to win. Tatiana attacked hard and it was impossible to pull her back before the line."

The Mendrisio circuit featured two climbs, Acqua Fresca and Novazzano, in a short 13.8-kilometre circuit that was repeated nine times, for a total of 124.2 kilometres.

Slick start

Overnight rain made the streets wet and caused a number of crashes. Eneritz Iturriagaechevarria Mazaga (Spain) and Anna Evseeva (Russia) both crashed in lap three.

The race started to take shape in lap four, when a group of 12 went free on the descent of the Acqua Fresca. It had 1:30 over the chasers by the top of the Novazzano.

More riders from behind joined the dozen before the Novazzano climb in the next, fifth, lap. Italy's Fabiana Luperini attacked and led Claudia Häusler (Germany) and Emma Pooley (Great Britain) over the climb.

Germany took control of the field at the start of the sixth lap. They led a thinning group of around 40 riders, including Pooley and Mara Abbott (USA), up the Acqua Fresca.

Cantele, second in Thursday's time trial, attacked on the descent of the Acqua Fresca climb on lap seven. She gained 20 seconds by the top of the Novazzano climb ahead of an increasingly selective group that included three US riders: Abbott, Armstrong and Evelyn Stevens.

Vos, Nicole Brändli (Switzerland), Ruth Corset (Australia) and Linda Melanie Villumsen (Denmark) caught Cantele on the descent of Acqua Fresca in the eighth lap, with others joining from behind before the Novazzano climb.

Armstrong and Cantele counter-attacked and formed a larger group of 19 before the start of the final lap: Abbott, Armstrong, Stevens, Pooley, Vos, Villumsen, Cantele, Tatiana Guderzo (Italy), Ruth Corset (Australia), Erinne Willock (Canada), Edita Pucinskaite (Lithuania), Diana Ziliute (Lithuania), Grace Verbeke (Belgium), Brändli, Emma Johansson (Sweden), Catherine Cheatley (New Zealand), Paulina Brzezna (Poland), Häusler and Judith Arndt (Germany).

Italy's Guderzo and Cantele attacked with Armstrong and Vos on the final Acqua Fresca climb. Guderzo made her solo counter-attack at the top of the 1.6-kilometre climb.

Defending Champion Cooke abandons

Defending World Champion Nicole Cooke (Great Britain) lacked the form of twelve months prior. Her preparations for the race had suffered a setback due to a virus in July and today she fell behind the favourites in the opening laps of the race. She trailed the field by two minutes at the end of lap five, where she abandoned.

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